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Gulf War vets urged to seek VA care

Gulf War veterans that need medical attention are being urged to seek treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

On Thursday, a senior Military Health System official said that a recent study found that military service during the Gulf War is a cause of post-traumatic stress disorder. Veterans seeking medical care through the VA will allow researchers to keep better track of their data, thereby making them able to search for causes of PTSD symptoms.

Gulf War veterans are still eligible for high-priority health care through the VA, according to Congress. Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, director of strategic communications for the Military Health System, said that "from the [Defense Department] standpoint, we've always believed that Gulf War veterans' symptoms were real. They are deserving of treatment for their symptoms and, medically, we frequently treat symptoms without knowing the reason for the symptoms."

A National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine study released on April 9 found sufficient evidence to conclude that serving in the military during the Gulf War is a cause of PTSD in a number of veterans.